Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), in partnership with MusiCounts, is helping to keep music alive in two Mi'kmaw Kina'matnewey community schools. This afternoon MusiCounts and APTN presented Eskasoni Elementary and Middle school with a $10,000 Band Aid Grant in the form of 19 new instruments.

"We're incredibly excited," said Lisa Munroe, the school's music teacher and band program director. "Most students now are renting their instruments, and there are many more that would like to join the band program, but cannot afford the rental. This grant allows more students to participate in band, and to practice their instruments year-round."

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Monday, May 5, 2014

"There is no easy way of talking about this part of Canada's legacy. For more than a century, we sent children as young as five to residential schools - 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Metis children who had no control over their lives, and whose parents were required by law to send them away. Children were housed in gender-segregated dorms in schools, isolated from their families. They were often victimized by the Christian clergy who ran the schools."

Kwe' aq pjila'si, I am Vice Principal - Aboriginal Education for Surrey School district in BC, Canada. (Formerly a coordinator of Library and Information Services for SD38) I teach a Library Administration course and an Aboriginal Issues course for UBC and have a Masters in Educational Technology and Learning Design. I am also proud to claim my Mi'kmaq heritage. Wela'lioq for visiting.

Mawita'jig

This blog is a place for me to celebrate my roots and heritage. I feel a strong connection to my ancestor Mattie Mitchell (my mom's great grand-father) and I will be using this space to share links I find, and connect with others who want to discover Mi'kmaq culture and other First Nations influences.